Window closing device



Nov. 1, 1932. R. G. COLLINS 'WINDOW CLOSING DEVICE Filed Dec. 6, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 1, 1932. COLLINS 1,885,183

WINDOW CLOSING DEVICE Filed Dec. 6, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3 19 f 2 I 3/ 7 2o 2/ KEV 24 jaw/"1'6. ['ollins INVEHTOR wn'uss, ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 1,1932

IROZIBERT: G, conmns, or STJIALBANS, NEW YoRK wnvnow' CLOSING DEVICE Application filedDecember e, 1929. 8 Serial No. 412,207.

Thisinvention relates to window closing devices in general and has for its principal object to provideautomatic means for gclos-i I ing a window which may be easily attached to the two sashes of a windowwithout eXtensive alterations in the sash.

One ofthe objects ofthis invention'is to provide automatic means for releasing the window closing device actuated by rain drops.

Another object is to provide a simple and compact window 1 closer which requires little knowledge or mechanical skill to install and which may be easily, and conveniently adjusted andreset after being released.

Still another object of this invention. is to provide a construction which is cheap to man'- ufacture and canbeinstalled without diflEiculty or; great labor. I I I I Other obj ects'and advantages of the invention will-be hereinafter specifically pointed out, or will become tion proceeds. I I I I With the above indicated objects in view, the invention resides in certain novel con.- structions and combinations and arrangement of parts, clearly described in the fol-v lowing specification and fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which latter, show embodiments of therinvention as atpresent preferred. I

In said drawings: Figure 1 is an elevation of a window to which the invention has been applied;

looking at the window closer -from the outside of the window. l v

Figure 3 is an elevation similar to Figure 2,

closer.

' Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal section window provided with two sashes 2. and3,;- respectively, capable of sliding vertically, and

counter-balanced in the usual way. A housapparent, as the specifica- I I I other end is attached 1 Figure 2 is an elevation partly in 860131011,

II but viewed from the reverse of the window of the parts, with I I I 1 wheel 14 under normal conditions. Theend ing 4 fastenedby means of screws to the under side of the upper sash2. Journaled betweenthe walls of the'housing 4 is a suit able shaft 6 provided with a key 7 for the purpose'of turning the shaft; A ratchet wheel 8 is fastened to the shaft 6 and co-operates with a pawl 9 pivoted in the housing 4 spring urged-intocontact with the teeth of the ratchet 8. A bent-over projection 10 an arcuate slotin the housing 4. The proj ection 10 functions to revent the pawl turning over in the even-t o breakage of its actuating spring. Also, in the event of the latter breaking, the pawl, bymeans 'of the projection, may be manually moved to ratchet.

wheel engaging position fexteriorly' of the casing. The pawl -9 functions to retain the strong secondary spiralspring 11' in wound position to which-itis broughtby-meansof t he'wi'ndingakey. One end of the spring'll is connected to the. shaft 6. L V I F Loosely mounted on the shaft-6- is a spoolor drum 12 within which is a'second drum 13-; The drum 13 is-mounted betweenthe left side, Figure 5, of the spool12and a ratchet wheel 14 rigid vwith the drum 13, and is free to rotate under certain restrictions within the space in which it is mounted. The other end ofthe spring 11 is attached to the drum 13 8 whileasecondary spiral spring 15 is also attachedto the drum-13.- The spring: 15 is much weaker than the spring 11 and at its with the drum 12.

The teeth on the ratchet wheel 14 arej'so formed that'thecrowns of the teeth point in a direction opposite tothedirection of theteeth=on the ratchet wheel-8.

(lo-operating with the teeth of theratchet 9 wheel 14 is a spring urged trippinglever 16 I pivoted ona short shaft 17 extending into the space between the walls ofthe housing.

The tripping lever 16 is provided with a projection 18 engaging the teeth ofthe ratchet of the tripping lever '16 opposite the shaft; 17 normally I overlies" a bent-over projection 19 carried by anarm QO fixed to a shaft 21. j ournaled in the walls of the housing 4. An arm 7 formed as part of the pawl 9 extends through w inany suitable manner p up while the sp 22 fastened to shaft 21 extends downwardly and is normally held in the position shown in Figures 3 and 4 by a projection 23 carried by a counter-balanced hopper member 24 pivot-ed on a shaft 25.

The shaft is journaled between one of the walls of the housing 4 and a hopper shaped casing 26 attached to the outside of the housing 4. The hopper 26 is open at the top and extends under and somewhat beyond the lower and outer edge of the upper sash 2. The lower portion of the hopper 26 converges to a point just above the hopper 24.

A suitable cable 27 is wound upon the drum or spool 12 and passes upwardly through a hole28 in the upper sash 2, through a similar hole 29 in the upper part of the lower sash 3, and anchored to the sash by means of a suitable clamp or anchor 30. To prevent chafling of the cable a liner 28 is provided which reduces the amount of friction on the cord. 7

i 4 The operation of these parts is as follows: When the window is completely closed,

-; nearly all of the cable 27 is wound upon the drum or spool 12 with the spring 11 fully tensioned by reason of having previously manually turned the key 7 to wind up the spring. The spring 11 is normally wound is completely slackened when the window is closed. The other parts shown in the figures are in their normal positions as shown in solid lines in the various figures, and are in tripping position ready to be released to close the window if it should be already opened. In the normal position of the parts the tripping lever 16 prevents the ratchet 14 and the drum 13 from 7 being turned by the tensioned spring 11 but 410* the drum or spool 12 is free to rotate.

The ordinary operation of opening or closing the window is not interfered with since the operation of opening one or both halves of the window will cause the cable 27 to unwind from the spool 12 thus winding up the relatively weak spring 15, the spring 15 being juststrong enough to take up the slack in the cable. "It will be clear, therefore, that opening or closing the window will result in merely winding up or slackening the tension of the spring 15.

When the window has been opened and the cable 27 has been partially'or fully unwound from the drum or spool 12, the parts are in readiness to be tripped by rain drops so as to release the spring 11 for the purpose of closing the window automatically.

This operation is accomplished as follows:

The rain dripping down the window pane runs down over the edge of the under side of the upper sash 2 and some drops will fall into the hoppers26 and be carried down into the small hopper or bucket formed in the hopper member 24. The accumulation of rain drops soon acts to over balance the hopper member causing it to rock clockwise from the position shown in Figure 3, removing the projection 23 from the path of the lower end of the arm 22. A suitable spiral spring 31 always tends to rock the shaft 21 clockwise as shown in Figure 2 or counter clockwise as shown in Figure 3, so that when the arm 22 is released it will be rocked clockwise to the position shown in dotted lines in Fi ur-e 2, causing the bent-over projection 19 to lift the end of the tripping lever 16. Raising the end of the tripping lever 16 in this manner will lift the projectioh 18 out of engagement with the teeth of ratchet wheel 14, releasing the ratchet wheel and permitting the spring 11 to unwind.

The spring 11, being very powerful, will unwind and will first take up any slack in the spring 15 then will apply a strong tension to the cable 27, drawing the upper part of the lower sash 3 towards the lower part of the upper sash until the sashes strike the lower and upper portions, respectively, of the window frame. 7

In order to restore the parts to their normal position after having been automatically tripped to close the window there is prothe ratchet wheel 14 backwardly a number of times bringing the pin 32 into contact with the arm 20 and rocking the shaft 21 and arm 22 to the positions they formerly occupied before being released. A bevel on the back of the projection 23 carried by the hopper member 24permits the lower end of the arm 22 to pass the projection after which the weight of the tail of the hopper member will rock the hopper member to bring the projection 28 up to'engage and hold the arm 22 when it is released owing to the pin 32 passing from contact with the arm 20. i

It happen that the pin 82 in moving in its path while the window is being closed by the force of the springs will engage the arm 20, the shifted position being shownby dotted lines in Figure 2. Such contact of the pin 32 with the arm 20 will merely result in the arm 20 riding over Y it hits the arm 20 as the ratchet 14 revolves without harm to the tripping system. In resetting, the hopper 24 is precluded from assuming a vertical inverted position by reason of its limited movement. It could not assume such a position because the nose would strike the hopper 26 immediately above it.

The hereinbefore described construction, admits of. considerable modification without departing from the invention; therefore, it is said pin each. time the desire not to be limited to the precise arrangements shown and described, which are as aforesaid, by way of illustration merely. In other words, the scope of protection contemplated is to be taken solely from the appended claims, interpreted as broadly as is consistent with the prior art. 7

What is claimed as new, is: 1

1. A window closing device comprising a housing for mounting on one of the two sashes of a window, a drum rotatably mounted in the housing and having a flexible member reeled thereon, one terminal of. said member being adapted for connection with the other sash, a key actuated member rotatably mounted in the housing and having latching means to prevent rotation in one direction, a spool rotatably mounted in the housing, latching means for said spool, a heavy primary spring connecting said key actuated member with said spool, a relatively light secondary spring connecting said spool with said drum, and a moisture receiving tripping device operatively connecting with the latch for said drum to release the latter upon the accumulation of moisture.

2. A window closing device comprising a housing for mounting on one of the two sashes of a window, a drum rotatably mounted in the housing and having a flexible member reeled thereon, one terminal of said'mem her being adapted for connection with the other sash, a key actuated member rotatably mounted in the housing and having latching means to prevent rotation in one direction, a T

spool rotatably mounted in the housing,

latching means for said spool, a heavy p'ri-- mary spring connecting said key actuated" member with said spool, a relatively light secondary spring connecting said spool with said drum, and a moisture receiving tripping device operatively connecting with the latch for said drum to release the latter upon the accumulation of moisture,.said tripping device comprising a counterbalanced hopper for the reception of moisture, and a pivotally mounted lever operatively engaged with said latch and said hopper respectively.

3. A window closing device comprising a housing for mounting on one of the two.

sashes of a window, a drum rotatably mounted in the housing and having a flexible'-mem-. ber reeled thereon, one terminal of said member being adapted for connecting with the other sash, a key actuated member rotatably mounted in the housing and having latching means to prevent rotation in one direction, a spool rotatably mounted in the housing, latching means for said spool, a heavy primary spring connecting said key actuated member with said spool, a relatively light secondary spring connecting said spool with said drum, and a moisture receiving tripping device operatively connecting with the latch for said drum to release the latter uponrtheaccmnulation oflmoisturegsaid trips ping device comprising.- a; counterbalanced hopper tor the; reception. of: moisture, and

a. pivotally: mounted lever operatively J ens gaged with saiidlatch and saidi hopperire-i spectively,=- said lever and said spook-having cooperating means for repositioning the formen-for-'engagement with the hopper afte the release operation of the latter.

4. A window closing device comprisinga housing for mounting on one of the two sashes of a window, a drum rotatably mounted in the housing and having a flexible member reeled thereon, one terminal-of said member being adapted for connection with the other sash, a key actuated member rotatably mounted in the housing and having latching means tively connecting with the latch for saiddrum to release the latter upon the'accumulation of moisture, said moisture actuated tripping means comprising a counterbalanced hopper operatively connected with the drum latch- I ing means, and the casing being formed with a hopper having an outlet at its bottom in which the first said hopper is disposed, the walls of said second. hopper converging toward the first hopper.

5. A window closing device comprising a to prevent rotation in one direction, a spool housing for fixed mounting relative to a movable sash, a drum rotatably mounted in the housing and carrying a flexiblemember of which one end is de for attachment 1 05 I I to the sash, a'rotary member in said housing provided with a heavy actuating spring,

a latching device for said member, a light spring connecting said drum with said member to play out and take up the flexible mem.-

ber independently of said rotary member,

and a moisture controlled tripping device operatively connected with said'latch for releasing the latter.

6. A window closing device comprising a housing for fixed mounting relative to a 'movable sash, a. drum rotatably mounted in the housing and carrying a flexible member of which one end is designed for attachment to the sash, a rotary member in said housing provided with a heavy actuatingspring, a

tively connected. with saidlatch for releasing the latter, the tripping device comprising a moisture receiving hopper of small dimen-i sions and operative connections between it per for discharge into thelatter. V a In testimony whereof I hereby affix my sig-.

n ature.

ROBERT G. COLLINS. 

